The Key Aspects of New Gene Editing Technology that Raise Broader Issues

I will present an overview of the science that was presented at the “Summit meeting” on human genome editing held at the National Academy of Sciences in December 2015, especially as related to the use of the techniques in the human germline and embryos. I will also reflect on the differences of opinion among some scientists, and highlight what would be required to meet the standards of "safety and efficacy" if the methods were to be used to make heritable changes in humans. However, even if these standards could be met, any application would have to have broad societal support and a measure of international agreement on the types of genetic modification that could be permitted. The role of science and scientists in obtaining any consensus on these issues will be discussed.